Whether you run an e-commerce business or a traditional brick-and-mortar store; digital marketing It is essential to promote your brand and stay competitive in the market. Digital marketing typically includes: online marketing methods as well as local marketing options.
1. Optimize your website for mobile
With more consumers using smartphones and tablets to browse and purchase, using responsive design for your website ensures that it looks good on mobile devices as well as desktop.This is especially important e-commerce A company aiming to increase sales.
Website builders like Squarespace and Wix, as well as dedicated website builders. e-commerce platform Companies like Shopify and BigCommerce typically offer mobile-friendly templates and features. When designing your website, check how it looks and functions on mobile devices and make any necessary adjustments.
2. Create a business profile
a free advertising strategies An easy way to improve your business's search rank is to register and update your business profile on Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other popular search platforms. A business profile helps you provide current and potential customers with important information about your business, such as your address, phone number, and business hours. Also, adding images, photos, and logos can help you attract potential customers.
Platforms like the Better Business Bureau, Yelp for Business, and Nextdoor can also help get your business details noticed by local customers.
3. Understand your audience
By knowing your target audience, the consumers who are likely to purchase your product or service, you can customize your digital marketing strategy to different segments of your customer base. For example, if you own a coffee shop and want to sell bags of your specialty blend to customers outside your area, your digital marketing strategy will typically be different than the one you use for customers walking into your store.
Once you identify different groups of target users, you can customize the digital marketing strategies you use to attract them, whether it's through social platforms, local listings, email, or other methods.
4. Invest in local marketing
If your business operates in a local market, you should leverage digital marketing strategies that specifically appeal to and engage with that audience.Several local marketing Strategies to consider include:
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Digital billboards, signs, and displays in high-traffic locations.
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Direct mail campaigns in your area.
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Host or participate in community events.
Using these strategies, you can easily include your business's website and social media handles in the materials and information you distribute in your local community.
5. Start a blog as part of your content marketing strategy
Blog article.One of the easiest ways to get involved content marketing, can significantly impact your ability to attract customers and drive sales. Articles, newsletters, videos, infographics, e-books, and other materials can be shared on your website, via email, or through social media posts.
Writing about topics related to your business, demonstrating your expertise, and providing helpful information will increase traffic to your website and help your business improve its search rankings.
6. Join social media platforms that suit your business
Just like content marketing social media marketing This is also a type of digital marketing. Many consumers rely on social media marketing to guide their purchasing decisions. But instead of trying to be great on every social media platform, decide which platform is best for your business and focus your energy there.
For example, if you're looking to launch an online boutique, you may find that image-focused platforms like Pinterest and Instagram are better suited for your digital marketing strategy than others.
Focusing on a few platforms makes it easier to stay active and respond quickly to customer interactions.
7. Get the most out of email marketing by building your contact list
use customer relationship management and email marketing is an effective digital marketing tactic often used to build loyalty and acquire new customers. CRM software helps you collect and store information about your contacts: existing customers and potential customers who have interacted with your business in some way.
Contact lists can be used to share newsletters, special offers, announcements, discounts, and other information about your business or products. You can also personalize the emails you send by automatically filling out information such as contact names and locations.
8. Encourage customers to leave online reviews
Customer reviews are personally valuable and can enhance your business' reputation. Reviews can also help you build trust with existing customers and influence other customers to visit your website. In addition to including links on your website and emails, you can place signs at your location to encourage customers to write reviews of your business.
You should also monitor reviews for negative feedback so that you can quickly work to resolve the issue. Addressing bad reviews head-on can help you improve your products and processes, and give you the opportunity to strengthen your relationships with your customers.
9. Use digital advertising to reach your target audience
If your marketing budget allows, digital advertising on Google and social media platforms can help you get your business in front of your target audience. Digital advertising typically allows you to select keywords, target specific audiences, and attract potential customers seeking your products or services. Digital advertising allows you to target customers in local areas, specific age groups, and niche markets.
Many of these platforms also offer retargeting tools that allow you to advertise to customers who are already on your business website and have expressed interest in your products.
10. Explore influencer marketing opportunities
Why not consider adding influencer marketing to your social media marketing efforts? Influencers have huge followings on social media, and their product reviews and promotions can influence the purchasing decisions of their viewers.
Nano-influencers can be a particularly good option for small and medium-sized businesses. With less than 10,000 followers, they often have more engagement with their communities and may cost less than influencers with larger numbers of followers. When choosing an influencer, it's important to ensure that their audience is similar to your target audience and to thoroughly review the influencer and their platform.
11. Build customer loyalty with SMS marketing
Short Message Service (SMS) marketing is a fairly cost-effective way to promote your business through text messages. SMS allows you to regularly inform your existing customers about special offers, discounts, in-store events, and other promotions. Similar to email marketing, you will need to ask for permission before sending texts to your contact list.
SMS marketing software Automate the process of sending text messages to existing and potential customers. You can also use Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages to share photos, images, videos, audio files, and other content with your contact list.
12. Respond to online feedback
Customer service can be the deciding factor in attracting and retaining customers. Extend your in-person customer service practices to your business website. Start by creating a contact page on your website with information on how your customers can contact you and quickly respond to requests, questions, and comments they receive.
You may also consider investing in a chatbot service to extend your 24/7 customer support hours. Chatbots can provide answers to frequently asked questions, making them a particularly useful tool for e-commerce businesses.
13. Monitor your campaigns and adjust your strategy
Monitor your digital marketing strategy to determine what's working well and what you can change. It is important to remember that not all strategies are successful. A big part of your digital marketing efforts involves testing and trying new things to determine what works best for your business.
For example, if your new product's Facebook ad campaign doesn't meet your expectations, you can adjust your strategy by changing the ads in your campaign, choosing a different social media platform, or using a different digital marketing technique. Masu.
14. Spend within your marketing budget
Marketing is necessary to attract customers, but it can be difficult to spend a large amount of money on it.that's why Creating a marketing budget is essential. When considering how to allocate your funds, you want to make sure you have a firm grasp on the “basics” of establishing a digital presence, such as launching and optimizing your business website, setting up social media profiles, and building your email list. You might think so. You can then branch out and explore other tactics that may require a larger budget, such as digital advertising or local marketing tactics.
Freelance writer Rieva Lesonsky contributed to this article.
A version of this article originally appeared on Fundera, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.